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Current Opioid Access, Use, and Problems in Central and Western European Jurisdictions

  • Opioids (D Fiellin and J Donroe, Section Editors)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of the Review

To provide recent data on opioid use in Central and Western Europe and available treatments, with focus on Spain and Switzerland.

Recent Findings

The prevalence of opioid use in Europe is around 0.4%, which represents 1.3 million individuals. Heroin use remains the main reason for treatment among patients with an opioid use disorder (> 80%). Opioid agonist treatment (OAT) is generally available, with methadone and buprenorphine being the most often used treatments. In some European countries, pharmaceutical heroin (diacetylmorphine, DAM) is also available as an OAT option.

Summary

The prevalence of opioid use disorder is decreasing in Western Europe and OAT is widely available. Heroin remains the opioid of most concern but changes in the prevalence of use of other opioids should be closely monitored.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Internal Medicine Service, Addiction Unit, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Badalona, Spain

    Daniel Fuster & Roberto Muga

  2. Community Psychiatric Service, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Olivier Simon

  3. Alcohol Treatment Center, Department of Community Medicine and Health, Lausanne University Hospital, Beaumont 21b, P2, 02, 1011 Lausanne CHUV, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Nicolas Bertholet

Authors
  1. Daniel Fuster
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  2. Roberto Muga
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  3. Olivier Simon
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  4. Nicolas Bertholet
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Correspondence to Nicolas Bertholet.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Opioids

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Fuster, D., Muga, R., Simon, O. et al. Current Opioid Access, Use, and Problems in Central and Western European Jurisdictions. Curr Addict Rep 5, 478–484 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40429-018-0226-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40429-018-0226-7

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